Lighting fixture for show windows



Nov. 30, 1943. c. A. CAMPEN LIGHTING FIXTURE FOR SHOW WINDOWS Filed Jan. 22, 1942 Patented Nov. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,335,735 LIGHTING FIXTURE. FOR snow WINDOWS Carl A. 'Campe'n, University City, Mo. Application January 22, 1942, Serial.No...42!7,689

2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in lighting fixtures for show windows, the peculiarities of which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The main objects of this invention are to provide means, first, for the efiicient diffusion of the light from fluorescent lamps over the entire area it is desired to illuminate; second, for adjustably tilting reflectors disposed over each lamp to an appropriate angle for the purpose of properly diffusing the light downwardly into the show window itself and shielding the lamps to avoid reflecting the light outwardly through the glazed window; third, for guarding each lamp, so that if the lamp for any reason should come loose in the lampholder, it could not possibly fall down; fourth, for so mounting the guard that it must always be removed for replacing the lamp; fifth, for fastening auxiliaries to the reflector for preventing the reflector from falling if its fastening should become loosened; sixth, for allowing the reflector and its connected parts to be lowered as a unitary structure for inspection and replacement of auxiliaries or parts connected with the reflector, while it is still supported and guarded in hanging position; and other features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals indicat corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of a show window with its glass front and my lighting fix.- ture secured to the ceiling near the front and tilted toward the back wall;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of my lighting fixture casing secured to the ceiling in section, showing the reflector tilted towards the back wall and fluorescent lamps in cross section supported below the lampholding reflector carrying the auxiliaries, and the lamp guards secured as to the casing;

Fig. 3 is a similar section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, showing the lamps lengthwise as mounted below the reflecting bottom wall of the fixture with side guards and auxiliaries, and indicating the position when the guards are removed and the reflector and parts carried thereby lowered and hanging on supporting chains for inspection and replacement; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed cross section of the lower front portion of the casing and adjacent end of a side guard as secured thereto and partly broken away to show the fastening screw.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, l designates the glass front of a show-window, and 2, 3, 4, and 5 the ceiling, rear wall, bottom wall, and end walls, respectively, of a substantially standard show-window.

My new lighting fixture is preferably in the form of a suitably elongated box-like casing or she'll preferably constructed of sheet metal and comprising a top wall 6', a relatively deep front wall .6 preferably of angular section, as best seen in Figure 2, a relatively shallow rear wall-8 preferably of U-formation in cross-section, and opposed end walls I tapering upwardly from the front wall 6 to the rear wall 8, so as to accordingly tilt or bevel a reflector-plate 9 forming the bottom wall of the fixture casing or shell.

In practice, the lighting shell is disposed in suitable adjacence to the window-front i and is fixed dependingl-y to the window-ceiling 2 as by means of suitable screws or other fastening members a engaging its top wall '6', as best seen in Fig. 2.

The reflector-plate 9, it may be here stated, is provided preferably with a baked enamel surface and is bent or deformed longitudinally to include a series of sets of angularly disposed connected relatively narrow strips H and relatively wider strips I2, the narrow strips H being crosswise disposed in approximate horizontal relation to the top wall 6 and the wider strips 12 being dis posed crosswise in oblique relation .tothe top wall 6', or, in other words, the strips I may be compared to steps and the strips i 2 may becornpared to oblique risers therebetween, and the bend or apex between the rearward margin of each strip ill and the forward margin ofeach strip l 2 being presented downwardly, for purposes presently appearing.

At its forward margin and preferably throughout its length, the reflector plate 9 is formed with what may be described as an angular extension 9 having, in turn, a forwardly projecting flange l5, and fixed to the plate portion 9 is an angular member 9 one portion I4 of which is arranged for co-operation with the flange I5 in the provision of a groove for accommodating a lateral flange [3 presented rearwardly from the lower end of the casing front wall 6, the plate 9 at its upper margin being extended to project beneath the bight of the wall 8, to which it is flatwise fixed as by means of a series of fastening members I6.

Suitably fixed to and at the ends of, and depending from, the reflector plate 9, is a series of lampholders or terminals I! of standard structure for supporting a series of suitably spaced parallel fluorescent lamps or other suitable lamp-tubes l lengthwise of the lighting shell or casing and preferably beneath the apices of the plate strips 1 I, I2, and it may now be remarked that, by reason of the peculiar angular disposition of the reflector strips H, I2, the rays of light emanating from the lamps or light-tubes ID are difiused downwardly and rearwardly therebetween rather than outwardly toward the glass front I. Thus the light-rays from the lamps ID are deflected and diffused over substantially the whole area of the bottom wall 4 and rear wall 3 of the showwindow and the articles displayed therein, the

I0 from reflecting outwardly.

The reflector-plate 9 also carries on its upper' surface suitable auxiliaries, such as a compensator l8 and ballast l9 suitably disposed on each side of a longitudinal central line of the reflector, on which line is secured the lower end of a chain. connection 20, the upper end of which is secured to the top wall 6' of the casing, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. These chain connections at respective ends of the reflector-plate 9 are disposed in a slack condition, as shown in Fig. 3, while the reflector-plate 9 is held in its normal position by the engagement as described of its lateral margins with the front and rear walls 6 and 8, respectively, of the casing, from which the plate 9 may be readily detached on removal of the several securing-screws I 6. And when the reflectorplate 9 is disengaged from the shell front and end walls 6 and 8 and lowered upon the chain connections 20, said connections 20 support the reflector-plate 9 and its auxiliaries in a suspended and balanced position at a suitable distance below the casing to facilitate inspection and replacement of any parts thereon, as indicated by dot-dash lines in Fig. 3.

In order to prevent any possible loosening of the several lamps II] from their lampholders I1 and their falling into the show window and ar ticles disposed therein, I provide a safety device for guarding the lamps Iil from such accidental disengagement. These guards consist of strips of angled or other suitable shape 2|, the vertical leg of which is disposed adjacent the respective end wall 1 and the horizontal leg extends under the respective end of the series of lamps, as shown in Fig. 3. Any accidental disengagement of said lamps will thus be guarded by these strips 21. When it is necessary to remove any of the lamps l9, however, these guarding strips may be easily removed by disengaging their respective upper ends 22 from its fastening screw connection with the shallow upper wall 8, and detaching the re-' spective lower ends of the guard strips from a vertical stem 23, Fig. 4, depending from the said secondary flange l5 and having a nut 24 threaded thereon to detachably secure said lower end of each guard strip. The lamps ID are thus safely guarded from accidental disengagement and may be easily removed for replacement when necessary after removing said guards.

I do not confine myself to the exact construction herein shown except by the appended claims.

While the fixture as disclosed herein has been illustrated and described as being secured directly to a ceiling, it should be understood that the fixture may be secured to the lower end of a suitable hanger, stem or bracket element for spacing the fixture a suitable distance below the ceiling, which spacing may be desirable in certain installation conditions without departing from the intended scope of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a lighting-fixture, a reflector-plate including, a series of sets of angularly disposed connected strips, means comprising a casing having a shallow rear wall and a deeper front wall for suspending said plate within, and in oblique relation to the ceiling of, a show-window, the strips of one set having a greater width than the strips of the other set, the narrow strips being disposd in stepped horizontal planes parallel with the window-ceiling and some of the apices between said strips being presented downwardly, and means for suspending light-tubes from said plate in spaced parallel relation with said apices.

2. A lighting-fixture comprising a reflectorplate including a series of sets of angularly disposed connected strips, means comprising a casing having a shallow rear wall and a deeper front wall for suspending said plate within, and in oblique relation to the ceiling of, a show-window, the strips of one set having a greater width than the strips of the other set, the narrow strips being disposed in stepped horizontal planes parallel with the window-ceiling, and the strips of the other set being disposed in oblique relation to the window-ceiling, and alternating apices between said strips being presented downwardly, light-tube terminals supported b the plate, and light-tubes mounted upon the terminals and disposed in spaced parallel relation with and below said apices.

CARL A. CAMPEN. 

